Federal Police Seize 300kg of Ice Hidden in Hydraulic Press
A well-funded crime syndicate is being hunted by federal police after they discovered 300 kilograms of the drug ice hidden inside a heavy-duty hydraulic press. The drugs, worth more than $270 million, were found in a cargo shipment that arrived in Sydney from Mexico last month.
Suspicion was raised when an X-ray of the shipment showed that the steel was too thick to see inside. Specialized engineers were brought in to drill into the hydraulic press, where they found the drugs concealed deep inside the machinery. The elaborate attempt to conceal the drugs is one of the most sophisticated that authorities have ever seen.
Detective Sergeant Salam Zreika of the Australian Federal Police said that only a well-funded criminal syndicate could have been behind the smuggling attempt. She added that the seizure shows the lengths that drug trafficking syndicates will go to in their attempts to smuggle illicit drugs into Australia.
Authorities believe that the syndicate would have needed specially trained engineers to hide the drugs inside the thick machinery. Australian Border Force Inspector Marc Rea said that officers are trained to detect any suspicious anomalies, even with elaborate concealment methods.
The discovery has prevented more than $270 million worth of methamphetamine from hitting Sydney streets, and authorities are hoping information from the public will help find who sent it and where it was headed. Federal police have asked anyone with information about this importation to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report via the Crime Stoppers website citing ‘Operation Withcott’.
In conclusion, this seizure highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat drug trafficking in Australia. It also serves as a reminder that drug trafficking syndicates will go to great lengths to smuggle illicit drugs into the country. The public is urged to report any suspicious activity to help prevent these dangerous drugs from reaching our streets.
Source: abc.net.au
